Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the widow of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and an actress who had a longtime association with the "Star Trek" franchise, died early Thursday morning at her home in Bel-Air, California. According to reports, the 76-year-old actress had been battling leukemia, and died with her son, Eugene, and family friends by her side.

 

Roddenberry was involved in the "Star Trek" universe for more than four decades. She played the dark-haired Number One in the original pilot but since this did not go well with NBC executives was later changed into the blond, mini-skirted Nurse Christine Chapel in the original 1966-69 show. She had smaller roles in all five of the "Star Trek" television successors, even though she had little involvement in the productions.

 

Born Majel Hudec in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 23, 1932, she attended the University of Miami and acted in regional theater before heading to Hollywood in the late '50s.

 

Before "Star Trek," she had roles on several television shows, including "The Lucy Show," "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Untouchables." She also appeared in 1958's "The Black Orchid," 1963's "The Quick and the Dead," and 1966's "A Guide for the Married Man."

 

She also played the role of the flamboyant Lwaxana Troi on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," as well as the voice of the Starship Enterprise for six of the 10 "Star Trek" movies that have been released, as well as the 11th, which is to be released next year.

 

In 1997 Majel Barrett Roddenberry began airing in syndication as an executive producer and playing a recurring role in "Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict". Later she was an executive producer of the syndicated "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda."

 

Both Gene and Majel Roddenberry maintained a close and warm relationship with "Star Trek" fans, as they knew the fact that it’s the fans who kept them going for such a long time. And in this year’s August Majel Roddenberry attended a "Star Trek" convention in Las Vegas.